KI:Inferenz.nrw is creating a new infrastructure for providing AI models to universities in North Rhine-Westphalia. The initiative was launched by partners from the Open Source-KI.nrw project together with RWTH Aachen University and the AI Service Center WestAI to give universities quick access to language models.
Starting in April 2026, the first models will be made available to universities in North Rhine-Westphalia that already use KI:connect or are preparing to introduce it. In the first phase, the Mistral Small and GPT OSS models, among others, will be available. The goal is to establish a sovereign AI infrastructure for universities based on open-source models.
As part of this development, KI:connect will also be adapted: The previous standard model 4o mini will be replaced by GPT OSS in the future in order to better support the use of self-hosted models within the university infrastructure.
The provision will initially be prototypical and will be expanded step by step. There will be no initial provision costs for universities in North Rhine-Westphalia, as the offer is financed by the Ministry of Culture and Science (MKW).